Title: Quartzsite - Finding a Spot in the Desert
Tags: quartzsite boondocking adventures
Blog Entry: I thought I would make some notes about Quartzsite since it is a popular place with the RVers. This is the first time we have "stayed in Quartzsite" - as most people think of it. We have stayed in Brenda, which is about 15 miles up the road from here, in a full-hookup campground. We have been into town to have a look around, but it was during off season. We are now really in Quartzsite. In the desert. BLM land. Boondocking. With a few thousand friends. We blew in here on Friday - New Years Day. It was an easy drive from the west, only a few hours from where we overnighted. Our plan was to get into town and fill up our liquids - diesel fuel, propane, and fresh water - 100 gallons of onboard and a R/O drinking water containers. We found all but the fuel at the RV Pit Stop, which is on Hiway 95, on the north part of town. These guys were ready for a ton of rigs. They were very efficient and set up well. We took 25 gallons of propane, and the water fill was $3 for a whole tank. Ang filled the drinking water for 25cents a gallon. From reading on the web, I knew I wanted to give La Posa Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) a try. It is cheap at $40 for 14 days, and has trash, water, and dump stations. Figured it would be boondocking training wheels for us. We found it easily as we headed south out of town and stumbled upon "La Posa - 1/2 mile ahead" signs. We pulled in to find the ranger station closed for the holiday. We decided to park the rig, unhook the Jeep, and drive around to find a place to park. It is surprisingly difficult to find a parking spot when you can select from "anywhere". Literally, anywhere. I think their only rule is that you can't block a road. Other than that, the desert is there for the taking. We drove a little way and came across a group of RVers having happy hour. I stopped to ask if there were any guidelines or secrets to follow. They said, Nope! Park wherever you want! They shared some very helpful information on a variety of subjects, and after fetching our rig, we found our spot. The final decision went down like: Me: Do you have any preferences? Angie: Umm, no. It pretty much all looks the same. Me: What about over there? Angie: Sure. Looks like right here though. Me: Ok, lets park here then! I have a tendency to overthink, or over analyze things sometimes. Ang tries to help my nerosis by keeping me on task. It works well for us. However, she did decide to take Malabar for a walk while I moved and repositioned the RV a solid 10 times before being satisfied with our parking position. I got out the final time, walked a distance away to admire my amazing parking job, and discovered that I was parked completely opposite of how most people were parking their rigs. Everyone was pointed southward, while I was perpendicular, facing east. It is satisfying being the only right one. From Quartzsite - Jan 10 We like it out here so far. It has a serenity that we have not seen for a while. It is challenging trying to do the crash course in off-grid living. We are learning ways of saving and conserving and reusing and showering quickly. Learned that the furnace LOVES battery power, and consumes it quickly. Also learned the sunsets out here are not to be messed with. From Quartzsite - Jan 10 Next up: A dozen uses for dishes rinse water, and Swapmeetville, Arizona.
VIEW FULL VERSION: Link